Designing the 100-Year Workforce: How Multigenerational Design Shapes Work

For the first time in history, up to six generations may share the workforce - from early-career Gen Z professionals to employees working well into their seventies and beyond. At the same time, global longevity is rising, with the population aged 80 and older projected to triple by 2050. Drawing on insights from the ASID 2026 Trends Outlook Report, this session reframes aging as an opportunity rather than a challenge. Industry leaders will explore how organizations can design workplaces that support collaboration, wellbeing, mentorship, and knowledge transfer across generations - turning longevity into a powerful strategic advantage.

Khoi Vo

CEO, ASID

Khoi Vo is the chief executive officer of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). Since taking the helm at ASID, Vo has led the association to broaden inclusivity through expanded membership to the entire design community, and elevated visibility for the association as a thought leader through its prestigious research, which has been acclaimed in top national and international publications. Vo has over two decades of experience across interior design, architecture, and education. In 2002, he founded Studio Four Los Angeles. He later founded Khoi Vo Design and was the studio’s design director for 12 years. Vo began his career at California State University as an assistant professor for the interior design program. He later became a professor and chair at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)’s department of interior design before teaching at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Vo later returned to SCAD to head its former Hong Kong campus. Vo became CEO of ASID in 2022. He is also serving on the governance council of the International Well Building Institutes (IWBI). Vo’s awards include the 2015 Honorable Mention for the CIDA Award for Excellence in Teaching, the 2017-18 DesignIntelligence Top 25 Most Admired Educators, and a SCAD Presidential Fellowship. He has served on competition juries including VMark Interior Design Awards, Vietnam, Society of Interior Designers, Singapore 2020 Competition and 7th IIDA Annual Best of Asia Pacific Design Award. Vo earned a Bachelor of Arts with a design focus in architecture from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fl., and a Master of Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles. A first-generation American, Vo was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and immigrated to the U.S. with his family as a child. He currently lives in Savannah, Ga., with his wife, son, and two dogs.

Elizabeth Von Lehe, ASID, NCIDQ

Principal, Sr. Design Leader

CannonDesign

Elizabeth Von Lehe currently serves as Principal and Senior Design Leader at CannonDesign, based in New York and leading teams and projects across the country and internationally. An award-winning design leader with professional experience across multiple industries, Elizabeth champions a holistic approach to design, embracing not only the built form, but branding, curation and the development of user experience from every angle. An active member of ASID, she is serving as the 2025 chair of the national board of directors, and has also supported student mentorship initiatives and served on a variety volunteer committees. As part of her focus on industry mentorship, Elizabeth also serves as a regular graduate mentor and panelist for her alma mater, Columbia University, and is an adjunct professor for a special studio course with Institut Paul Bocuse in Paris and Lyon, France.

Erik Lucken

Strategy Leader

Gensler

Erik Lucken has spent thirty years in the design industry working from a deceptively simple conviction: research is the engine of great design. As a Strategy Leader at Gensler, he translates rigorous inquiry into actionable solutionsâclosing the gap between physical environments and the business performance and workplace cultures they're meant to support.

Since joining Gensler in 2006, Erik has focused his work on the "how" and "why" of modern work. One thread has defined much of his research: workforce demographicsâa variable that shapes workplace needs profoundly. By decoding what workers at every career stage actually need from the spaces around them, he has developed research-based insights that move workplace design from intuition to intention.

A longtime Gensler thought leader and frequent speaker, Erik doesn't just describe where the workplace is headed. He gives people the strategic clarity to do something about it.

Leah Bauer

Global Director of Design and Sustainability

Workday

Leah Bauer, ASID, IIDA, IFMA, NCIDQ, is the Global Director of Design and Sustainability at Workday and the Senior Project Director on location in Dublin Ireland. Leah is an architectural design leader who has played an integral role in a wide variety of commercial projects including workplace strategy, corporate, research and lab planning, hospitality and healthcare. Leah excels at connecting great design vision and budget to deliver world-class solutions. In her current role, she is leading the design direction for Workdayâs global portfolio, introducing diverse and equitable solutions for her workmates, and spearheading sustainability certifications on all Workday sites. Leah is involved with many organizations, including IFMA (International Facility Management Association), as the Hospitality Council Vice President as well as with ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) as the Northern California Chapter Past President. A champion of life-long learning, Leah shares her knowledge through mentoring, guest lecturing, writing and presenting. She has a unique approach to her designs and delivering successful award-winning projects.

This content will not be available until 06/07/2026 at 8:00 AM (EDT)